New Hip Hop News

In 1993, James Jordan was inside of his red Lexus, taking a nap at a North Carolina bus stop. The car was a gift from James’s son, Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan, and as he slept, two 18-year-olds, Larry Demery and Daniel Green, approached the vehicle and robbed the 56-year-old. They not only took his personal items and the Lexus, but they shot James to death. His remains were recovered in a swamp 11 days later.

The devastating incident took over headlines for years and in 1995, Demery pleaded guilty and received 40 years while Green received a term of life plus 10 years. The former would testify against his friend by fingering Green as the person who pulled the trigger. 

In 2008, an error was found to be associated with Demery’s sentencing and he was later resentenced to life, thus then making him eligible for parole. Last year, we reported that Demery was granted parole and was scheduled for release in 2024, however, ESPN now states that those plans have been canceled.

The state Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission had announced in 2020 that Larry M. Demery would be released as part of an agreement in which he would take part in a scholastic and vocational program designed to prepare him for life outside prison. The initial release date was August 2023, but it was later pushed back by 12 months.

The commission said Tuesday in a news release that Demery’s “agreement has been terminated” effective immediately, giving no reason. The release said that Demery, who is serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of James Jordan in 1993, would be reviewed again for parole on or about Dec. 15, 2023.

It has been speculated that Demery may have engaged in behaviors that violated the conditions of his parole program, but that has not been confirmed at this time. It was, however, reported that the 46-year-old has had several run-ins behind bars, 19 infractions to be exact. The most recent was reportedly earlier this month.

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She’s entering into a new season now that she seems to have officially severed all romantic ties with the father of her child, DaBaby. DaniLeigh recently suffered a public meltdown of her relationship with the rapper after their argument was displayed on Instagram Live. Not only did the pair fight, but they revealed their newborn daughter for the first amid clips of police officers speaking with DaniLeigh. 

Although the pair touted their romance and DaBaby even was side by side with her in one of his music videos, he would go on to disrespectfully call her a “side b*tch” with who he was never in a relationship with.

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Artists obviously put their feelings about their experiences on wax and DaniLeigh’s fans are awaiting what she’s been cooking up. Summer Walker took her drama with London On Da Track and made it a chart-topping record and it looks as if DaniLeigh is hoping to do the same. The Def Jam singer shared several images of herself recording and in one, she drew a sad face with tears on her leg.

“Someeee coming [fingers crossed emoji][eyeballs emoji],” she wrote in the caption to her photo dump. Last month, R&B veteran Tank advised DaniLeigh to hold all of her emotion for her music, not social media. Check out her post below.

The holiday season hasn’t been all pine trees and holiday lights for Alex Jones. The famed conspiracy theorist and Infowars founder’s antics have caused him to become a spectacle, but this time reports state that it was his wife, Erika Wuff Jones, who found herself in trouble with the law. More information is being shared about the Joneses and the alleged physical altercation that took place on Christmas Eve at their home.

The incident was reported on by several outlets, but The Daily Beast reportedly viewed documents from the police. According to the publication, Erika was accused of striking her husband “over 20 times” and threatening him with a stone ball. She reportedly told Alex that she would hit him in the head with it, resulting in the far-right commentator to “fear for his life.”

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Wulff Jones was arrested on a domestic violence charge for that Friday night altercation at the couple’s home outside of Austin, Texas. Following the Christmas Eve incident, Jones told the Associated Press: “It’s a private family matter that happened on Christmas Eve. I love my wife and care about her, and it appears to be some kind of medication imbalance.”

When authorities arrived at the home, Alex’s hair was reportedly “red” and “wet,” and he is said to have told officers that “Erika had hit him with both closed fists and open hands on his head in front of their child.” She was apparently upset because she reportedly believed that Alex was being unfaithful and in turn, the disagreement allegedly turned physical as they were giving their child a bath.

Erika stands accused of striking her husband over the head with a bottle and chasing after Alex when he attempted to flee the scene. Meanwhile, Erika reportedly told authorities that she didn’t threaten her husband, nor did she assault him. An officer noted that he could smell alcohol on her breath. She was arrested and reportedly charged for resisting arrest and assaulting her husband. Alex later claimed that Erika lost it because she accidentally mixed up her medications.

“So, that’s what happens when someone has a chemical imbalance after surgery and the medication they had mixes together,” Jones said. “They literally go to cuckoo world, cloud cuckoo.”

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It isn’t uncommon for women to shave their heads. Amber Rose is a notable figure in the industry who has rocked her bald look for years, Tiffany Haddish decided to go for the “big chop,” and more recently, Saweetie displayed a similar style on social media. Jada Pinkett Smith has also shaved her head, along with her daughter Willow, and while fans thought this was a simple cosmetic decision, Pinkett revealed that she was diagnosed with alopecia. She’s been embracing her look and shared a candid video online where she showed off patches on her scalp.

“Now at this point, I can only laugh,” she said in the clip. “I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that.”

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“So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So I thought I’d just share it so y’all are not asking any questions,” Jada added, hoping to get ahead of the gossip that could unfold about her condition. She then joked, “But you know mama’s going to put some rhinestones in there. I’m going to make me a little crown. That’s what mama’s going to do.”

In the caption, Jada continued to make light of the situation. “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!.” She has amassed a tremendous amount of support from her fans who are sure to hear more about this on a future episode of Red Table Talk.

Check out Jada’s video below.

Typically, TikTok comes under fire for “challenges” gone wrong, but this time, one of the companies moderators has filed a lawsuit. Those who are familiar with the platform know that they have moderators in their Livestreams to make sure that nothing offensive or illegal takes place. However, there are also moderators whose shifts consist of regulating uploaded content, often limiting access to or deleting videos that go against policy or are outwardly against the law.

Candie Frazier was reportedly hired by Telus International, a company that The Washington Post reveals was contracted by TikTok. She reportedly worked as a TikTok moderator and is suing the company for exposing her to “extreme and graphic violence” that has allegedly damaged her mental health.

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The Post reports that in court documents, Frazier claims she watched videos that included “genocide in Myanmar, mass shootings, children being raped, and animals being mutilated” for 12 hours a day.

Frazier developed “significant psychological trauma including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder” as a result of her exposure to the videos, according to the lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status. The legal challenge, which alleges that TikTok violated California labor law by failing to provide a “safe work environment,” requests compensation for moderators who were exposed to the material. It also asks that TikTok and ByteDance provide mental health support and treatment to former and current moderators.

When asked about the lawsuit, a representative for TikTok reportedly refused to comment due to the “ongoing litigation.” However, a statement was issued by TikTok stating that they “strive to promote a caring working environment for our employees and our contractors.” It added that it will “continue to expand on a range of wellness services so that moderators feel supported mentally and emotionally.”

Meanwhile, Telus states that they have a “mental health program in place” and pride themselves on “the valuable work our team performs to support a positive online environment.”

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They may be engaged in an ongoing divorce, but Safaree Samuels and Erica Mena have reunited for the latest season of Love & Hip Hop: Family Reunion. For its second season, production is taking some of the most memorable figures on its famed franchise and putting them together for a family reunion-style get-together where they address their issues and attempt to find a resolution.

While Mena was pregnant with her second child with Samuels, the pair announced that they were divorcing. They traded shots on social media and details regarding their split have been laid out in court documents, but the world is getting a firsthand, emotional look at what the couple has been enduring. 

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In the series, Mena has been playfully avoiding flirtations from her ex Rich Dollaz while ignoring her estranged husband. The distance, lack of communication, and feeling as if he is being portrayed as a villain seemed to get under Safaree’s skin. Not only did he confront his wife about her behavior, but the two shared a tearful moment when they seemed to lay down their swords.

Watch the couple come to terms after Mena accuses him of abandoning his family—an allegation that Safaree vehemently denies. Check it out below.

Those end-of-the-year round-ups have been taking over news feeds as publications share their best and worst lists of 2021. We’ve shared our staff picks for best albums and songs of the year, and we even chatted with several artists for our annual 12 Days of Christmas series. Rolling Stone also shared their top projects of 2021, and while lists such as these always create some debate, their No. 1 pick for their Best Hip Hop Albums lit the internet on fire.

There have been several influential albums to surface throughout the year, but according to Rolling Stone, the record that topped them all was Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red. 

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Just in case you were wondering about the publication’s other choices, here are a few other mentions: J. Cole The Off-Season at No. 20, Maxo Kream Weight of the World at 14, Kanye West Donda at 13, Young Thug Punk at 12, Drake Certified Lover Boy at 10, Lil Nas X Montero at 7, Doja Cat Planet Her at 6, Megan Thee Stallion Something for Thee Hotties at 5, and Tyler, The Creator Call Me if You Get Lost at 3.

Fans of all artists that made this list took to social media to fire off opinions, many of them scathing, so we’ll let you read through a few below and let us know if you believe Playboi Carti deserved that top spot. If not, tell us who you believe had the best Hip Hop album of the year.

Also, make sure to check out our picks: Top 30 Hottest Hip-Hop Albums Of 2021.

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Now that he’s dropped the YBN from his name, Almighty Jay is embarking on a new season of his career. The rapper has faced his fair share of controversies since emerging in the Rap scene years ago, and he recently sat down with VladTV for an extensive interview about his most talked-about headlines.

Jay revealed that when they signed their deal with manager Jame McMillian, the YBN rappers weren’t aware that McMillan also had a partnership with Rap-a-Lot Records. Although that was something they weren’t aware of initially, Jay now says he looks at Rap-a-Lot icon J. Prince “like a dad.”

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“I look at him and respect him like a father figure,” Jay added. Vlad then brought up the 2019 incident when Almighty Jay was robbed on the street of his cash and jewelry—including his Rap-a-Lot chain. During the incident, the entire side of his face was slashed. At the time, reports stated that he had 300 stitches but the rapper now states it was only 14.

“I ain’t really feel that sh*t until like, the next day, though. ‘Cause my adrenaline was pumped. It started off as like, a fight, like, I was really tusslin’ with n*ggas and end up getting cut up,” he said. Jay also claimed that he wasn’t aware that his face had been cut until he awoke in the hospital with a neck brace on.

At the time, J. Prince sent out a public message asking for Jay’s items to be swiftly returned and unsurprisingly, his request was fulfilled. Jay spoke about being confused as to why someone would rob him and then go on the internet to brag about it. 

“I didn’t even know who the f*ck robbed me until they went online and told on theyself,” said the rapper. Watch the clip of his interview with VladTV below.

Fans of Bebe Rexha have noticed that the singer hasn’t been as active on social media as she usually is, and she has returned with an explanation. Throughout her career, the Popstar has often opened up about personal struggles, including her parents getting COVID-19 as well as her journey after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Rexha has also spoken about her body and is known for showing off her curves online, but in a tearful TikTok video, she revealed her battle with accepting her current weight.

Many singers and Popstars have often come forward with their tales of eating disorders and maintaining a physical frame that the industry demands, and Rexha is seeming feeling the pressure. So much so, that it seemed to have kept her away from uploading images and videos of herself.

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“I haven’t been posting as much because I don’t feel good in my skin, and when I don’t feel good, I don’t want to post,” she said. “That’s really honestly the reason I haven’t been posting in the last year or so as much as I used to.” Rexha touched on her previous posts about body acceptance and positivity, mentioning that they came from “a place of hurt and confusion… I don’t know how to help myself anymore or how to love myself.”

“I think I am the heaviest I have ever been,” Rexha said. “I weighed myself just now, and I don’t feel comfortable sharing the weight ‘cause I feel embarrassed.” Her timelines have been flooded with supportive messages from people who have encouraged her to take care of herself mentally.

Swipe below to watch Bebe Rexha detail her experiences below.

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